The Wanderer: First Snowfall
A/N: Hi, Moon here. The Wanderer series was inspired by a poem called 'The Wanderer'. So yeah, there's my brilliant title name. This is the first in the series. The other two books are The Wanderer: Different Ways, and The Wanderer: Last Challenge. 'ALLEGIANCES:' FrostClan: Leader: '''Owlspirit--tabby-and-white she-cat '''Deputy: '''Sleetshade--long-furred black she-cat '''Medicine Cat: '''Echolight--beautiful silvery-white tabby she-cat '''Warriors: Darkclaw--dark gray tom Snowdapple--white-and-gray speckled she-cat Icewind--white tom with one black paw Silversloe--silver-and-gray tabby she-cat Boulderclaw--gray tom Stonesplash--dark gray tom Skybreeze--pure white she-cat with pale blue eyes Apprentices: Frigidpaw--gray tom with one white paw, brother of Coldpaw Coldpaw--white she-cat with one gray paw, sister of Frigidpaw Queens: Sprinklesong--white she-cat with silver specks Morningdew--pale cream she-cat with white stripes Elders: Whitepelt--white tom 'PROLOGUE' A sleek, long-furred tabby-and-white she-cat padded toward a smaller, silvery-white one. When she spoke, her voice was tired. "Is there any hope for us, Echolight?" Echolight glanced up from a pawful of frost-bitten herbs. "I cannot say, Owlspirit. Our ancestors are quiet." Owlspirit looked away, tail lashing with anger. "Why are they silent when we need them most?" she hissed to herself. Echolight sighed, carefully storing the hebs in a small crevice poking up from the snow-covered ground. Perhaps because so many of us have already given up hope, so they have given up as well." Owlspirit jumped as if she had forgotten the silver medicine cat was there. After a heartbeat, she meowed sadly, "Perhaps. I can't see a future for FrostClan, if we can't even make it past this." Echolight looked at her leader, shocked. "No, Owlspirit! Don't say that! If we give up hope, then we'll never make it, but if we believe in ourselves, then we'll find a way through this, I promise." Owlspirit didn't answer, merely padded away, eyes clouded with emotion. Echolight glanced up at the starry sky above, her mew dropping to a whisper. "Why have you abandoned us?" As if in answer, a single star seemed to twinkle, as a breeze twirled past. With a gasp, Echolight turned and raced after her leader, her eyes blazing with excitement. Their ancestors had spoken. 'CHAPTER ONE' A slender, pure-white she-cat slipped through the barren snowy landscapes, her fluffy fur blocking out the chill of the bitter wind that whipped around her. Ahead, she spotted movement and froze, her white pelt blending into the snow underpaw. After a pause, a plump snow hare hopped out, ears twitching nervously. The white she-cat waited until it had started rooting around in the snow, looking for plants. After it had turned its back to her, she lept, reaching it before it could run, and killing it with a single bite. She sat up proudly, the hare clutched firmly in her mouth, and gazed back toward the only sheltered spot for miles. The pawprints leading back had already filled up, and she longed to go back to the camp before the snow picked up. But more then anything, they needed fresh-kill, and if there was one snow hare, then there might be others, and it was her duty to FrostClan to bring back as much prey as possible. Sighing, she turned back to the small valley where she had found the first hare, and found, to her delight, two more hares slowly making their way out. Both were smaller then the first, but three hares would make a huge difference to the Clan. Gently dropping the first hare, she waited again until both hares had turned their backs to her, then leaped, managing to pin down the first while biting the second. After killing them both, she rose to her paws, panting hard. She grabbed them all in her mouth, and headed back to the camp. ***** Echolight sighed, playing with the frost-bitten herbs. "These aren't any good," she muttered, shoving them angrily back into the small crevice. "If any cat gets sick, they'll have to pull out of it on their own." In FrostClan, getting sick could be dangerous, since the lack of decent prey, and the freezing air made it nearly impossible to heal. Without fresh herbs, there was no way to heal, and there wouldn't be new herbs til snow-melt. Her only chance was to leave to search. As she pushed out of the small den, she spotted her sister, Skybreeze returning to camp, her mouth filled with three hares, the plumpest Echolight had seen in a while. She let out a purr, and bounded across the clearing to meet her. "Skybreeze! Where did you find those?" The white she-cat tossed the hares on the fresh-kill pile. "Out there, somewhere. I don't know, they were just hopping over the snow." Echolight gasped. "Then maybe there's grass there! Or-" her tail whipped with excitement, and she added, "-or maybe there's herbs!" She opened her mouth to ask Skybreeze to take her to where she found the hares, but realized at the last second that she was panting, and closed it again, brushing her plumy silver tail over her sister's back. Maybe she can show me later. After she's rested, ''she thought to herself, watching her sister as she grabbed the plumpest of the hares and disappeared to the nursery. ''Even when she's tired and hungry, she still brings the queens prey first. Returning back to her den, she settled down into her feathered nest, intent on getting some rest herself. ***** Skybreeze watched her sister leave, aware that Echolight had wanted something more. But when she's ready to tell me, she will. After all, we've never kept secrets before! She couldn't help thinking that Owlspirit was watching her strangely, her amber eyes glinting. Feeling self-conscious, the white she-cat quietly padded toward the small tangle of thornbushes that the warrriors' made their nests in. As she pushed inside, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow. Slowly but surely, FrostClan was dying. Already, they only had a few warriors left, and all but one elder had died. Even the leader was getting weaker, and Sleetshade had caught a nasty cough, which was worrying Echolight. If one cat came down with greencough, the entire Clan would catch it, and FrostClan would be doomed. Managing to push the unpleasant thoughts out of her head, Skybreeze sank wearily into her soft nest, only to wake up what felt like moments later. "Skybreeze!" She sat up, feeling panicked. Her sister was standing over her, eyes bright with excitement. "Echolight? What's wrong?" she asked grumpily, slowly getting to her feet. Echolight whipped her tail around the den, looking exhilarated. "A while ago, SpiritClan spoke, and now I think I know what they want, and Owlspirit says-" Skybreeze cut her off. "Slow down! I'm not going anywhere, so just take your time." To her surprise, Echolight looked stricken, mewing softly, "But that's just it. You are going somewhere." Skybreeze stared at her. "What?" Echolight took a deep breath. "A while ago, SpiritClan sent us a prophecy. I've been talking to Owlspirit, and now we think we know what they want, but..." she paused, looking desperately sad. "But it means that you'll have to leave." Skybreeze's jaw dropped. "What? ''Why would I have to leave?" Echolight sighed. "I think you'd better come talk to Owlspirit with me. This really isn't the right place for this..." she trailed off, looking at the sleeping warriors scattered around the den. Feeling completely confused, Skybreeze told her, "I think I should." ***** "So, I have to leave," Skybreeze mewed quietly. Owlspirit nodded gently. "If SpiritClan wants you to, then I suppose you must." Echolight turned away. "I wish you didn't have to." "I know," Skybreeze meowed comfortingly. "But I'll be okay." Echolight couldn't quite meet her sister's eyes. "Mhm." Skybreeze bumped her head against the silver medicine cat's shoulder. "Echolight..." Skybreeze pulled away, eyes bright. "Well, I guess I should leave now then?" Echolight's head shot up. "Now?!" "Well, yeah," Skybreeze told her. "I mean, I should get an early start." In a quieter voice, she mewed, "I don't think FrostClan will survive much longer, if I don't." Echolight glanced desperately at Owlspirit, but her eyes where clouded with emotion. "But..." "Echolight," Skybreeze mewed, "You know I'll miss you. But I've got to go." Echolight hesitated, then nodded sadly. "I... I know. Just be careful." "I will," the pure-white she-cat told her, before padding out of the den. 'CHAPTER TWO' ''Skybreeze panted, hauling herself over the ''razor-sharp edge of the cliff, gasping in pain when it sliced through her leg. She quickly rasped her tongue over the cut, praying to SpiritClan that it wasn't too deep. The bleeding stopped, and she breathed out in relief. ''If I do get injured though, it could be bad. Not for the first time, she wished her sister, Echolight was here, with her knowledge of herbs. But SpiritClan chose me, she reminded herself sharply, not wanting to dwell on wishes. Straightening up, she slowly padded toward the next ridge, wincing when she saw the pointed spikes of rock studded all over. This could be more difficult than I thought. But for FrostClan, she had to try. Finding paw- and foot-holds, she slowly made her way up, ledge after ledge, scrape after scrape. Finally, she reached the top, but hardly had any time to feel proud, when she spotted the decline back down. It was crumbled rock, edges poking out everywhere, ready to give her nasty wounds that could hamper her journey. Now what? To be continued... Category:Fan Fictions